Electrical connector device

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector includes a cylindrical housing member having one end portion adapted to receive a fuse member and the other end portion fitted with a connector plug or jack. The end carrying the plug or jack is further provided with a key opening adapted to receive a mating tool key for assembly of the housing member into a panel-mounted receiving member portion of the connector.

" :l I, 1 ill States t m] 399 [72] Inventors Joseph R. Andrennnl [56] Reierences lCiteol UNITED STATES PATENTS George Zenuch, Edison, hoth 011 1.11. [21] Appl No 869,080 1,042,897 10/1912 Dunlop 16/80 22 Filed on. 24, 11969 FOREIGN PATENTS Patented Dec. 21,1971 962,904 12/1949 France 337/198 [73] Assignee Weston Instruments, line. 885,170 12/1961 Great Britain..... 337/198 Newark, NJ. 1,159,999 7/1969 Great Britain 339/147 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore 5 ELECTRICAL CONNECT-0R DEVKCE Attorneys-William R. Sherman, Stewart F. M00113, Jerry M. 6 Cflaims, 6 Drawing FML Presson, Leonard R. Fellen and Arnold, Roylance, Kruger and Durlcee [52] U.S.Cl 339/126 111, 339/ 147 R [51] lint. Cl ll-llllr 9/04, ABSTRACT: An electrical connector includes a cylindrical f 1 H 1! 1 housing member having one end portion adapted to receive a Field of Search 339/1 10, fuse member and the other end portion fitted with a connector 1 1 125, 2 2 7/2 plug or jack. The end carrying the plug orjack is further pro- 190 vided with a key opening adapted to :receive a mating tool key for assembly of the housing member into a panel-mounted receiving member portion of the connector.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE This invention relates to a connector device and more particularly to an electrical connector plug or jack which includes a fuse holder as an integral part thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination fuse means and electrical connector device suitable for mounting on an instrument panel.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination panel-mounted fuse holder and electrical recep' tacle wherein a carried fuse is readily accessible for service from the outside of the panel.

An electrical connector in accordance with the present in vention includes a cylindrical housing member having a connector means including a key aperture at one end thereof and a fuse-receiving means at the other end. A socket member is provided and mounted in a panel wall of an instrument utilizing the connector apparatus together with a pin member having an electrical contact terminal. The housing member is mounted in the socket so that the other end of the fuse member makes electrical contact with the pin member.

Other objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is an exploded perspective view of the fuse holder portion of an electrical connector constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, said connector being shown as a receptacle means;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a receiving member for the fuse holder portion of the connector shown in FIG. 1',

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of FIGS. 1 and IA assembled and mounted in a panel wall ofa typical instrument housing;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end elevation view of the connector taken along line 33 of FIG 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the fuse holder portion of an electrical connector in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end elevation view of the connector taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate like parts in the various figures a connector receptacle or jack in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 thereof as being mounted in a wall panel 12 of, for example, a typical instrument housing (not shown) of the type wherein a conductive signal path connection is to be established between a plug member received in the receptacle and input or output circuits in the instrument which are coupled to a contact terminal means of the receptacle.

As shown more particularly in the exploded view of FIG. I and in FIG. 1A, the receptacle connector It) includes a cylindrical housing member 14, interior contact means in the form of a pin I6 having a collar or ridge 18 intermediate its length and a flat head 20 at one end thereof, a spring 22, and a socket member 24, said housing member 14, pin l6, and socket member 24 being fabricated of an electrically conductive material.

One end of the housing member M comprises a split sleeve portion 26 and an inner annular shoulder 28 for respectively gripping and seating one end of a received cylindrical fuse body 30 The central portion of the housing member 14 is externally threaded as shown at 31 while the other end of the housing member I4 is provided with a peripheral shoulder 32 surrounding an enlarged opening 34 which merges into a smaller key opening or keyway 36 extending part way into the housing 14 and which serves as a means to receive a suitable tool for assembly of the housing member I4 and a fuse carried therewith into the socket member 24 as will hereinafter be described. As shown in the drawing, the keyway or opening 36 may be hexagonal in shape so as to accommodate an Allen wrench-type tool 38.

Continuing from the opening 36 is a bore 40 extending axially along the housing member 14 and merging into the sleeve portion 26. The bore 40 serves as a means for receiving therein a male" connector or plug and is suitably dimensioned and shaped relative to the type of connector plug to be received, so that a friction or retention fit providing a good electrically conductive contact between the plug and the housing member is achieved. In the illustrated FIG. 2 embodiment, the bore MI is ofa slightly smaller diameter than that of the hexagonal opening 36 and may, for example, accommodate by a friction fit, a received bananna plug" (not shown) and ofa type well known in the art.

The socket member 2d portion of the connector 10 may be cylindrical in shape and is provided with an axially extending bore or aperture 42 screw-threaded to receive the housing member M therein for assembly of the connector 10. Also included as integral parts of the socket member 241 are a pair of tab projections Ml and 16 through which electrical contact may be made to the housing member M to bypass the fuse element 30 if so desired in the application of the connector 10.

As best seen in FIG. 2, to utilize the connector of the present invention, the socket member 24 is fixedly secured in the panel wall 112 of the instrument housing, as for example, by being press-fitted into an opening 48 therein, or by the panel wall itself being molded around the socket member 24L Integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the back side of the panel wall opening 43 mounting the socket member 24l is an elongated body portion 40 having a tubular recess 52 therein extending between the opening 48 and a narrowed opening 54 in the end wall 56 of the body portion 50.

The pin to which serves as the electrical signal contact terminal means for the connector 10 carries the coil spring 22 and is inserted through the socket member aperture 42 and pushed along the tubular recess 52 against the bias of the spring 22 to extend out through the narrowed opening 54. The pin I6 is urged through the opening 54 until the surround walls of the opening sufficiently deflect or flex to allow the ridge portion 18 of the pin 16 to pass through the opening 54 and be back biased thereagainst, thereby to limit the pin against back gravel.

The fuse 30 may next be mounted in the housing member sleeve portion 26 which may be of a thin-walled construction and is suitably dimensioned to flex slightly to provide a tight friction coupling and electrical contact with the received end 5 of the fuse 30.

To assemble the housing member 14 to the socket member 24, an external tool, or Allen wrench 38 as in the illustrated embodiments, is received in the key opening 36 in the front end of the housing member 14. Utilizing the wrench 38, the member M is screwed into the threaded socket aperture 42 such that the other end 60 of the fuse 30 is urged against the flathead portion 20 of the pin 16 to make electrical contact therewith.

It will be noted that by using the tool wrench 38 in the key opening 36, the housing member M can be readily disassembled or removed from the socket 24 for servicing or replacement of the fuse 30 from the front side of the panel wall 12 mounting the connector 10.

Upon the insertion of a mating bananna-type plug into the housing member bore 40, an electrical circuit path connection will be provided from the received plug through the fuse 30 to the pin terminal means 16. In accordance with a feature of the invention, if it is desired to bypass the fuse 30 in the utilization of the connector l0, tab projections 44 or 46 may be utilized as a signal contact terminal means for the connector 110.

Another embodiment of a fuse holder housing portion of the connector of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Here the end portion of the housing member remote from the sleeve end 72 is illustrated as a plug connector and includes a pin member 74 extending outwardly from peripheral shoulder 76 and concentric with the split sleeve portion 72. The free end 78 of the pin 7d is provided with a key opening illustrated in the drawing as a hexagonal opening an extending part way into the pin member 74 and adapted to receive an Allen-type wrench for a screw assembly of the housing member 70 to a panel mounted receptacle of the type illustrated in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2. Upon the receipt ofa mating female"-type jack connector over the pin member 74 portion of the connector housing 70, an electrical circuit path connection will be provided from the received jack through the pin member 75 and fuse 30 to the pin terminal means 16.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination fuse holder and electrical connector receptacle apparatus for mounting in an instrument panel having a hollowed elongated body portion extending outwardly from one side thereof, comprising:

a cylindrical housing member having a split sleeve portion at one end thereof for receiving one end of a cylindrical fuse member to make electrical contact therewith, the other end of said housing member being provided with a peripheral shoulder portion surrounding an enlarged opening which merges into a smaller opening extending part way into the housing member, said member further including a bore extending axially along the length thereof and continuing from said smaller opening to said split sleeve portion of said housing:

a pin member having a ridge portion intermediate its length and a flathead portion at one end thereof;

a socket member having an opening axially extending therethrough;

means mounting said socket member in said instrument panel and concentric with the hollowed body portion thereof;

means mounting said pin member in said hollowed body portion in axial alignment with said socket member, a portion of said pin member extending out from said body portion;

said smaller opening in said housing member being adapted to receive a mating tool key to facilitate assembly of said housing member into said socket such that the other end of said fuse is brought into electrical contact with the flathead portion of said pin member, thereby to provide an electrical circuit path connection from said housing member through said fuse to said pin member.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said socket member includes at least one projecting tab portion through which electrical contact may be made to a received housing member so as to bypass a fuse element which may be carried by said housing member.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and further including a spring member carried by said pin member in compression between the flathead portion and the pin member mounting in said body portion.

4. A combination fuse holder and electrical connector apparatus for mounting in an instrument panel having a hollowed elongated body portion extending outwardly from one side thereof, comprising:

a cylindrical housing member having a split sleeve portion at one end thereof for receiving one end of a cylindricaltype fuse member to make electrical contact therewith, the other end of said housing member being provided with peripheral shoulder portion surrounding an enlarged opening which merges into a bore extending axially along the length of said housing member to said split sleeve portion;

a pin member;

means providing a socket member adapted for mounting in said panel coaxial with said elongated body portion and having an axially extending bore for receiving said housing member; and

means for mounting said pin member in the hollowed body portion of said panel and in axial alignment with a mounted socket member such that an electrical contact is made between said pin and the other end of a fuse carried by a received housing member and extending out from the split sleeve portion thereof.

5. The combination as defined in claim 4 wherein said means providing a socket member includes:

a terminal PI'OJCCUOI'I carried by said socket member and providing an electrical circuit path connection with said one end of a received fuse.

6. The combination as defined in claim 4 wherein said socket member bore is screw threaded and wherein a portion of the surface of said housing member is threaded complimentary to said bore threads to provide for a screw assembly of said housing member within said socket member. 

1. A combination fuse holder and electrical connector receptacle apparatus for mounting in an instrument panel having a hollowed elongated body portion extending outwardly from one side thereof, comprising: a cylindrical housing member having a split sleeve portion at one end thereof for receiving one end of a cylindrical fuse member to make electrical contact therewith, the other end of said housing member being provided with a peripheral shoulder portion surrounding an enlarged opening which merges into a smaller opening extending part way into the housing member, said member further including a bore extending axially along the length thereof and continuing from said smaller opening to said split sleeve portion of said housing: a pin member having a ridge portion intermediate its length and a flathead portion at one end thereof; a socket member having an opening axially extending therethrough; means mounting said socket member in said instrument panel and concentric with the hollowed body portion thereof; means mounting said pin member in said hollowed body portion in axial alignment with said socket member, a portion of said pin member extending out from said body portion; said smaller opening in said housing member being adapted to receive a mating tool key to facilitate assembly of said housing member into said socket such that the other end of said fuse is brought into electrical contact with the flathead portion of said pin member, thereby to provide an electrical circuit path connection from said housing member through said fuse to said pin member.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said socket member includes at least one projecting tab portion through which electrical contact may be made to a received housing member so as to bypass a fuse element which may be carried by said housing member.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and further including a spring member carried by said pin member in compression between the flathead portion and the pin member mounting in said body portion.
 4. A combination fuse holder and electrical connector apparatus for mounting in an instrument panel having a hollowed elongated body portion extending outwardly from one side thereof, comprising: a cylindrical housing member having a split sleeve portion at one end thereof for receiving one end of a cyLindrical-type fuse member to make electrical contact therewith, the other end of said housing member being provided with peripheral shoulder portion surrounding an enlarged opening which merges into a bore extending axially along the length of said housing member to said split sleeve portion; a pin member; means providing a socket member adapted for mounting in said panel coaxial with said elongated body portion and having an axially extending bore for receiving said housing member; and means for mounting said pin member in the hollowed body portion of said panel and in axial alignment with a mounted socket member such that an electrical contact is made between said pin and the other end of a fuse carried by a received housing member and extending out from the split sleeve portion thereof.
 5. The combination as defined in claim 4 wherein said means providing a socket member includes: a terminal projection carried by said socket member and providing an electrical circuit path connection with said one end of a received fuse.
 6. The combination as defined in claim 4 wherein said socket member bore is screw threaded and wherein a portion of the surface of said housing member is threaded complimentary to said bore threads to provide for a screw assembly of said housing member within said socket member. 